Crave

This story has been corrected. The VRD-MC10 will not replace the existing VRD-MC5 model, as stated in a previous version of this blog. Both models will co-exist.

Sony's all-new CRD-MC10 DVD burner.

(Credit: Sony)

Sony Japan will "soon" release its all-new VRD-MC10 DVD recorder, a device that allows for playing and recording video footage from Handycam camcorders and other sources directly onto a DVD without using a computer.

The VRD-MC10 DVD is a step above Sony's Handycam-to-DVD VRD-MC5 recorder series, which does the same but with limited support for other sources and functionality.

The VRD-MC10 extends its support to more sources, including CompactFlash, Memory Stick (both regular and Duo), and SD/xD. It also has an array of input ports for analog R/L audio in, video in, S-Video in, DV in, and a standard USB port. All these help make it by far the most versatile PC-agnostic DVD recorder on the market.

The VRD-MC10, however, doesn't support Blu-ray Disc, disappointing considering Sony is the major sponsor of the format and this type of media is getting more and more popular. Other than that, the VRD-MC10 supports all hi-def formats, including 1080p.

The new recorder measures 8x3x9 inches and features a built-in 2.7-inch color LCD screen for menu access and preview. When it becomes available, it will cost about 44,800 yen (roughly $410). You can either wait for it or get the previous model, VRD-MC5, for $200.

(Via SonyInsider)

Let's face it, DVD recorders just aren't as useful as they used to be. DVRs are increasingly affordable, and your favorite TV show is likely to be available on DVD with pristine video quality, free of commercials, and onscreen ads. Still, sometimes there are moments you'd like to save yourself without paying for a DVD, like last night's amazing come-from-behind win by the U.S. men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay team. In those cases, a DVD recorder like the Toshiba D-R410 is handy to have around.

Our full take is in the review, but the short version is that the D-R410 functions perfectly well as a basic DVD recorder, but anyone who values video quality and extra features would be wise to step up to the Panasonic DMR-EA18K. The D-R410 lacks critical features such as an IR blaster, flexible recording speed, and DVD-RAM support, plus its image quality lagged being the DMR-EA18K in all of our tests. We were also disappointed to see that Toshiba removed DivX support, which was available on last year's model. On the other hand, the D-R410 is a little cheaper than the competition and many people may just want the absolute minimum DVD-recording capabilities, in which case the D-R410 is a good fit.

Review: Toshiba D-R410

The Panasonic DMR-EH75V still costs $1,000 on Amazon.com.

Last fall, we noticed that old DVD recorders with hard drives were selling for $1,900 on the Internet, because manufacturers basically stopped making them (with some exceptions) and people still want them. The continued demand for DVD recorders with hard drives isn't surprising--many people want a simple DVR they can own, without a monthly free, that can easy burn their favorite shows to DVDs. It's a killer product, but unless you're willing to set up a home theater PC, you can't have it.

We have noticed, however, that some electronics retailers have been offering foreign DVD recorders with hard drives in the U.S., potentially to meet this hidden demand. ... Read more

CNET reader Mathias notes:

Just a quick note/observation of mine: I can't find any DVR out there that works without a subscription and has a tuner built in for analog and digital over-the-air television signals. This strikes me as absolutely incredible. I am actually considering buying a VCR, assuming I can find one with a digital tuner. What's going on here?

To paraphrase here, it appears that Mathias gets his TV from an antenna (not cable, satellite, or fiber), and simply wants to be able to record his favorite shows with the convenience offered by a DVR with an electronic programming guide. He's also on track by searching for one with a digital tuner, since over-the-air analog TV is scheduled to shut down in February 2009.

Mathias--and plenty of others--doesn't want to pay a monthly subscription fee, so that rules out the otherwise excellent TiVo HD. So what are the alternatives? ... Read more

Though Toshiba has bowed out of the format race, there're still about 1.5 million HD DVD movies already on the market. This means you can't just ignore them all together. For this reason, it's good news for consumers today that Plextor announced two new internal Blu-ray drives that also read HD DVD.

The PX-B920SA, a Blu-ray recorder that also reads HD DVD format.

(Credit: Plextor)

The first drive--the PX-B920SA--is a Blu-ray recorder capable of recording BD-R media up to 4x (18MB/sec) and BD-RE media up to 2x. The second drive--the PX-B300SA--doesn't have Blu-ray recording capability.

The PX-B300SA that plays both Blu-ray and HD DVD media.

(Credit: Plextor)

Both drives can read Blu-Ray media up to 4.8x and HD DVD media up to 3.0x. They are also backward compatible with all DVD and CD formats, both in playback and recording at high-speed. These drives are internal and use a Serial ATA interface that offers better throughput than the traditional IDE interface.

Plextor will ship the new drives with a complete package of playback and recording software including: InterVideo WinDVD 8, Ulead MovieFactory 5.5 SE, and Burn.Now 4.5 SE.

Both the PX-B920SA and the PX-B300SA are available for consumer purchase by the end of this month with hefty price of $599 and $499, respectively.

DVD recorders have HDMI out, but not HDMI in. Why the disparity?

(Credit: Crutchfield)

CNET reader "deesmac" asks:

Why doesn't a DVD recorder have an HDMI in, as well as an HDMI out?

It's a great question. High-Definition Multimedia Interface provides the advantage of passing a high-bandwidth all-digital high-definition video and audio signal on a single cable, as opposed to the tangle of component video plus audio cables that were required for HD. (If those terms are Greek to you, check out the connectivity section of the CNET TV Buying Guide.) HDMI is now the standard connector for HDTVs and all of the HD-capable components that connect to them--DVD players and recorders, DVRs, game consoles, Blu-ray and HD DVD players, and even camcorders and PCs. But all of those are video sources that only have HDMI outputs. You'll find HDMI inputs only on AV receivers, HDMI switchers, and--of course--TVs. So, why the disparity?

(Credit: Crave UK)

So you're at a wedding. You've filmed the joyous day, in all it's rain-lashed tears-specked glory, on your new camcorder. You've fended off the uncles who want to play with it, and made it home. Now you have to transfer your footage to PC, burn it to DVD and fork out for fifty padded envelopes to send to every Cousin Tom, Uncle Dick and Auntie Harry. Or you could get the Canon DW-100 DVD recorder.

The DW-100 connects directly to your camcorder, for easy transfer of camcorder footage direct to DVD. A quick bit of in-camera editing while the best man makes his inappropriately revealing speech, and you're ready to start handing out DVDs by the time the toasts begin--in theory anyway, as there's no word on burn speeds yet.

It works with MPEG-2 standard-definition video, and AVCHD for all you posh high-definition types. That means those third cousins you never knew you had can watch it on their Blu-ray-playing PS3s.

The DW-100 also hooks up with your PC or Mac via USB. Where it may well come into its own is when used with flash-based HD camcorders like the Panasonic DMC-SD5, which goes through memory like a bridesmaid through wedding cake. No word on price yet either, but the Canon DW-100 will be available in Japan in March 2008.

(Source: Crave UK)

Is this old tech worth $1,900 to you?

DVD-recorders with hard drives may be old technology, but they're commanding astronomical prices on the free market these days. Case in point: We reviewed the Panasonic DMR-EH75V about a year and half ago when it had a list price of $500. If you search for the DMR-EH75H on Amazon, you'll see three resellers (all with reputable ratings) selling them for insane prices:

New DMR-EH75V: $1,895
New DMR-EH75V: $1,899
Used DMR-EH75V: $1,498

Is it just a glitch with Amazon? You might think so, but that's pretty clearly not the case. Jumping over to eBay, we found some recent auctions for the same product.

New Panasonic DMR-EH75V: $750
Refurbished DMR-EH75V: $675
Used DMR-EH75V: $760

Sure, that's less than half of the Amazon prices, but they're still very high. How often does the price of electronics increase after being used for a few years? What's going on here?

The answer is pretty simple--if you know the gritty details of consumer electronics and a little economics. ... Read more

DVD recorders are old news, but they've been given a little shot in the arm at CES 2007. Because of federal mandates that require any product with an analog tuner to also include a digital tuner, we've seen several DVD recorders with built-in ATSC tuners. That means you should be able to pull in free, over-the-air HDTV with these new DVD recorders and an antenna. The bottom line is that these recorders should be able to burn downconverted high-definition programs from the digital HD tuner in the correct wide-screen aspect ratio. Of course these burned discs won't be high definition, but the picture quality should still be pretty good since its starting with a high-definition source.

Panasonic DMR-EZ47V

(Credit: Panasonic)

The most promising DVD recorders with ATSC tuners we saw were Panasonic's. That's because the new Panasonics offer two of the same useful features found on the company's previous recorders: DVD-RAM support and a best-in-class LP mode. As we've discussed in reviews of earlier Panasonic DVD recorders, DVD-RAM lets you record one show while you're watching a previously recorded program on the same disc, allowing it to work almost like a digital video recorder. And the Panasonic LP mode is unique because it essentially looks just as good as SP mode, but offers longer recording time. As a result, you can double the amount of content on a DVD, with only a small loss in video quality.

Panasonic released four products with DVD recorders in them, and all of them offering 1080p upscaling over their HDMI inputs, an ATSC tuner, DVD-RAM recording, and their excellent LP mode. The DMR-EZ47V is a DVD recorder/VCR combo, which also offers DivX playback, a FireWire input, and an SD card slot. The DMR-EZ47V will have a list price of $380 when it comes out in May. The DMR-EZ37V is the step-down DVD recorder/VCR combo--which lacks the SD card slot--and will cost $330 when it comes out in April. The DMR-EZ27 is just a DVD recorder and offers essentially the same features as the DMR-EZ47V, minus the VCR. The DMR-EZ27 will be available in May for $280. The DMR-EZ17 is the step-down DVD recorder--which lacks the SD card slot--and will cost $230 when it comes out in April.

Samsung is close behind Panasonic with the DVD-AVR960, which also has support for recording to DVD-RAM. Along with its built-in ATSC tuner, the DVD-AVR960 has an HDMI 1.3 output and will upconvert to 720p and 1080i resolutions. It's compatible with recording to the aforementioned DVD-RAM, along with DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, and both +R and -R dual-layer discs. The DVD-AVR960 also has a FireWire connection--so it can easily connect to a camcorder--and DivX file playback. The DVD-AVR960 is scheduled to be released in June for $320.

RCA DRC8335

(Credit: RCA)

RCA also rolled out a DVD recorder/VCR with an ATSC tuner, the DRC8335. The DRC8335 is compatible with DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW discs, and has a FireWire input for connecting to camcorders. There's also a feature called "TV Guardian" which apparently can detect offensive language and mute it on playback. The DRC8335 has a list price of $350 and comes out in April.

LG got in on the DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner game with a couple of DVD recorders as well. There's the RC797T Digital Tuner Super Multi DVD Recorder and VCR--yes, that's the full product name--as well as the DR787T, which is the same as the RC797T without the VCR. However, LG hasn't announced the full feature set, pricing, or availability for these players.